


Headcanons of Ren Jinguuji

by EstelweNadia



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Angst, Bracelets, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Glasses, Headcanon, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Skinship, Sleeping Naked, Smoking, Truancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-05-06
Packaged: 2018-03-14 09:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3405773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstelweNadia/pseuds/EstelweNadia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of my own Ren headcanons.</p><p>Chapter 1: Sleeping Naked<br/>Chapter 2: Nightmares<br/>Chapter 3: Skinship<br/>Chapter 4: Prankster<br/>Chapter 5: Glasses<br/>Chapter 6: Of Truancy and Smoking<br/>Chapter 7: Ren's Bracelet </p><p>Hope this fanfiction will help you understand Ren better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sleeping Naked

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skyepie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyepie/gifts).



> I roleplay Ren, so here are some of the headcanons I've thought up for him. They are based from fanarts, doujinshi and plenty of imagination and speculation. If you have any Ren headcanons, please share. I might corporate it in, too. ^^
> 
> This work is unbeta-ed. So any mistakes, visible or not, are regretfully mine.

Ren wasn't quite sure how and when this particular habit of his started.. 

Ah. It might have occurred during his rebellious teenage years, in which his only priority was to defy his father, charm girls off their feet, and being free. 

He remembered it now; a terribly warm summer night. His clothes were soaked through with sweat, and no matter how much he tossed and turned, cranked his fan to its maximum and windows thrown wide open, he just couldn't seem to get cooled. In fact, he only became even warmer with his efforts. Just his luck his room air conditioner had broken down, and its maintenance was only scheduled two days after. 

Finally, frustrated and increasingly irritated with the unrelenting heat, Ren practically tore his own clothes off and chucked them aside, before throwing himself on his bed in a fit of uncharacteristic annoyance. 

The night air caressed his bare skin with surprising coolness, and quite suddenly, Ren found out that it wasn't so stuffy anymore. Ren burrowed deeper into his pillow with a contented sigh. He had never noticed the softness and smoothness of his bedsheet, until tonight.

Soon, drowsiness began to take hold of his consciousness. Ren was dimly aware that he was hardly covered at all, but he was too comfortable to move, and too sleepy to care. 

Even when the temperature dropped steadily throughout the night, Ren welcomed the chill. After a few days of tolerating the suffocating heat, any form of chill was appreciated.

He developed a cold soon after, but he thought it was worth it. 

He slept naked every night from then on.

Unless he was too tired, this time, he slept naked under the covers.

~~~~~~~~~ 

As the years went by, Ren discovered more perks to sleeping naked other than its promise of a cool slumber, effectively reducing his laundry and its faster way to get to sleep.

Like, how being nude gave him a sense of freedom, after a day being confined in layers of clothes, concealed behind his everyday masks to deal with everyone.

He enjoyed the reactions of mortification (and blushes) his roommates showed him when they discovered his sleeping habit.

It was also more convenient, in case his partner decided to be naughty that night. 

Oh, and that goes to say, with him already nude, he also stripped his partner of the pleasure of stripping him.

Ah. The joys of being comfortable in your own skin. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Stop sleeping in the nude," Hijirikawa had wrinkled his nose at him, turning his face away to covertly hide a faint blush on his cheeks."It's disgusting."

Ran-chan muttered something rude underneath his breath.

In response, Ren threw them a shameless smirk. "We are all guys here, Hijirikawa, Ran-chan. Whatever I have, you have them too. Well, except mine are more gorgeous, obviously. Oyasumi."

Ignoring sputters of irate indignation, Ren clambered up to his top bunk, naked ass in full view before he slipped underneath his blankets, and turned to his side as he readied himself to sleep.

\- End of Chapter One -


	2. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When sleep comes, the nightmare isn't far behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, most doujins I have encountered in Pixiv revealed that Ren does have nightmares when he sleeps. So I am more than happy to include that as one of my headcanons for Ren. ^^

\- Continued from Chapter 1 -

It was peaceful; floating in the darkness like this, buoyed by nothing but a feeling of relief and contentment within his consciousness.

How he wished that this calmness would last, yet deep down in his heart he knew that it was merely the lull before the storm.

Many times Ren wasn't sleeping too deeply to be caught unawares.

There would be a flicker of light, or the frazzle of voice, before past memories that he had tried so hard to suppress in his waking moments surged from below the surface to engulf him.

But he was always ready for it. 

This time, though, he was too tired. The toll of many consecutive nights of fitful sleep had finally caught onto him, and he had no energy to rise above the call of a deep sleep.

He allowed himself to be swept away by the currents.

When the wave loomed over him, he could only watch in helpless trepidation.

It wasn't a wave this time.

It was a tsunami.

And it came crashing down.

Ren plunged into the darkness and drowned. 

~~~~~~

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was his younger self, bounding happily towards a silhouette in the distance, a sheaf of papers hidden behind his back. 

Ren's eyes widened. 

This particular memory...! 

No! Ren reached out towards his younger self, trying to stop him, but the boy just ran right through him, and his plea went unheard.

"Papa!" Ren cringed at how happy the younger Ren sounded. Full of hope and optimism, and it showed in his bright blue eyes. "I have received my tests results today! I scored perfect As! Even better than Masato! Papa, look!"

And younger Ren thrust the papers proudly towards the silhouette before him, beaming with pride.

Ren watched, horrified, when the silhouette stepped into the light, and Ren saw, oh so clearly, the disgust and hatred on the older man's face. 

It was exactly as he had remembered. 

"What do you possibly hope to achieve by showing me this, Ren?" his father sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "Your brothers aced every test and they did not gloat about it! What exactly do you want in return? You are so proud and greedy, Ren! You disgust me!" 

Ren knew how his reactions mirrored the younger Ren's; eyes widened with shock, with tears streaming down on a face that had suddenly gone pale.

"No, Papa... That wasn't... I just..."

The papers fluttered towards the ground from lifeless fingers, and like the smaller Ren, Ren had fallen to his knees. 

Sobbing. 

Shaking.

Soundlessly screaming.

Stop it..

Stop it... 

STOP IT!

~~~~~~ 

Snapping his eyes open, Ren bolted upright on his bed, instantly clamping a hand against his mouth to stifle the harsh sobs, even as tears coursed down his cheeks like rivers in the rain.

He was trembling, crying, trying so hard not to make a sound lest he would rouse his roommates from their sleep, if he hadn't already.

When he managed to get his emotions under control, somewhat, Ren shakily made his way down from his top bunk.

He couldn't... couldn't stay in the room anymore, where the mere sight of sheets and pillows reminded him of the very thing he wished so desperately to forget.

Where the sight of his roommates sleeping so peacefully invoked a feeling of bitter jealousy that surprised even himself.

He had to leave.

\- To be Continued in Chapter 3 -


	3. Skinship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they discover that sleeping together keeps Ren's nightmares away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Slightly OOC Ranmaru and Masato.

\- Continued from Chapter 2 -

 

Neither of them was fully asleep when Ren descended from the top bunk.

Masato had just gone to bed after completing his calligraphy, and Ranmaru was on his bed listening to his favourite songs through the earpiece.

Masato watched with widened eyes as Ren climbed down.

It wasn't so much of the nudity; rather, it was how Ren's body trembled, and how his face was wet with tears.

Ranmaru was so shocked at his kouhai's uncharacteristically disheveled appearance that he yanked the earphone out of his ears, his song forgotten.

When Ren struggled into his clothes (he managed to pull on his pants) in his bid to escape, they couldn't watch anymore.

In an unspoken agreement, both Ranmaru and Masato rose from their beds and approached their distressed roommate.

Masato gently plucked the coat from Ren's fingers. "Forgive me, Jinguuji, but you are not allowed to leave the room tonight."

Startled, Ren tried to open his mouth to protest, but Ranmaru gripped Ren's shoulders with both hands and steered the befuddled saxophonist to his bed.

"Allow us to take care of you, bakayarou." Ran muttered under his breath, pushing Ren down.

Ren was too confused to realise what was going on, and he had no choice but to follow.

After a moment of hesitation, Ranmaru shirked off his shirt and clambered into Ren's right, and Masato, having shed the top part of his yukata, got into Ren's left, effectively trapping Ren in the middle.

Ranmaru pressed Ren's bare back against his bare chest, and Masato silently tucked Ren into his embrace.

"Don't get used to this," Ranmaru growled, shifting for a more comfortable position.

Ren wanted to say something, to move over, but the promise of warmth and safety provided by his roommates was too alluring for him to resist, and the pull of overall exhaustion, too strong for him to fight off.

His eyes slipped shut, and the world fell away to nothingness.

Ren finally slept.

And this time, he did not dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always figured that Ren is actually very lonely, especially at night when he is well and truly alone, with nothing to distract him or keep him busy, thus leaving him vulnerable at night to the memories of the past he has consciously and unconsciously suppressed. In other words, nightmares.
> 
> My speculation is that in his teenage years, Ren frequently had one night stands, so he wouldn't feel lonely at night as long as he was in another's arms. 
> 
> When he enrolled in Saotome Gakuen, his nightlife came to an abrupt halt, especially now he is a rising idol with reputation to uphold.
> 
> And since then, his nights have been lonely.


	4. You Can't Spell Prankster Without Ren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiji Kotobuki is not the only prankster in the UtaPri 'verse.

Most people forget about this relatively unknown side of Ren.

He might not look like it, but he is actually rather mischievous.

Bored Ren is a very dangerous Ren.

Especially if he has a lot of free time on his hands, has nothing to do, no girls to flirt with. 

You might just want to be in high alert whenever you are around him if you suspect him of being bored.

Ranmaru and Masato had been the unfortunate victims of his boredom.

Usually.

Like, that one particular day in which, if not for Ren's sudden burst of uncontrollable laughter, Ranmaru would realize too late that his hair had turned into a shocking shade of purple.

By then he had already stepped into a lobby full of waiting STARISH and Quartet Night members.

Masato faced the frequent case of having his things in the shelves and drawers deliberately rearranged. Even his clothes were not spared. 

Ren later made it up to them by religiously cooking them dinner and taking over their chores for a day or two.

But no one knows when Ren will start his shenanigans again. Unlike Reiji, Ren's joker personality surfaces when you least expect it to.

Speaking of Reiji, he just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Taking a nap on the couch of the Master Course mansion was like willingly victimizing self to Ren's random acts of mischief.

Cue bored Ren sauntering in. He only had to look at the vulnerable senpai, and a marker Cesshi had conveniently left on the coffee table (Cesshi has this strange habit of scribbling notes on vibrant Post-It pads and sticking them all over the place) and a sharp smirk graced his features.

Moments later, he left Reiji (who was still snoring away) with whiskers, eyes on closed lids and a pair of glasses drawn on his face, which Ren promptly placed Reiji's hat back on, and exited the scene as if nothing had happened.

Reiji discovered his new face hours later; at a dinner with his members and the teachers. Ai had pointed it out by taking a photo of it and showing the evidence to him.

Reiji's horrified scream sent the birds flying into the night sky in terrified panic.

Ranmaru howled with laughter, and Rin-chan wasn't far behind.

The reaction of a pranked prankster, was undoubtedly priceless.

Meanwhile on one of the Mansion's many rooftops, Ren, upon hearing the scream, flashed a smug grin to himself.

Cesshi was not spared, either.

Cesshi had been earnestly persuaded to convince Ichi to allow them holding hands. Holding hands will give you luck, Ren had said. Though Ren initially felt bad for tricking the Prince, the entire incident had been hilarious. Cesshi returned to him, complaining that Ichi has rebuked him for holding hand, and then wondered if Ren was out to make fun of him. Ren then smoothly suggested that perhaps the conditions weren't right, that maybe Cesshi should try it again another time, in another way. 

When Ren treated Cesshi to a meal fit for a royal Prince who dislikes fish and water, Cesshi wouldn't even guess.

Ah. Let's not forget our adorable Ochibi-chan.

There was this one incident in which Syo had accidentally left his fedora in the practice studio after their strenuous rehearsals. When Ochibi-chan remembered and returned for it, he was too relieved in having it back he missed the smirk on Ren's face.

The smirk widened ever so slightly when Syo flourishly placed the fedora onto his head.

Hours later he realized that he couldn't remove the hat no matter what he did.

"Ah, Ochibi-chan," Ren had drawled then, after a few minutes of quietly watching Syo's distress. "I have no idea that you are so attached to that fedora..." 

That night was the hardest run Ren had ever committed himself to.

All in all, those rare moments of mischief, were also rare moments of the rare appearances of Ren's genuine laughter and smiles, and begrudgingly, no one could ever hold him against the pranks he had played on them.


	5. Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ren actually needs to wear glasses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skyepie, you're going to love this so much. 
> 
> RyuuyaRen is mentioned. XD 
> 
> Enjoy ~~~!

Actually, Ren does need to wear glasses.

Or contact lenses, at least.

He just prefers not to.

Too much of a hassle, he'd say. It's not necessary, he'd say.

What he doesn't want to admit, is that he doesn't wear glasses because of vanity reasons, other than being plain lazy.

Though he does carry a pair around.

You know, just in case.

When caught him with one, his most obvious reason is, "You might never know when you need a disguise."

But he would never admit that his disguise tool is actually prescribed.

Ryuuga-san knows, of course, since he was the one practically manhandling Ren to the optician that one particular evening.

* * *

Ren had been hanging out of his sensei's house one day, out of sheer boredom and no one else to bother. Since Ryuuga-san was busy doing his work, Ren entertained himself with magazines.

But then he was never the one to lay still.

Abandoning the magazine he was aimlessly browsing through, he snuck up on his preoccupied host. Tucking a lock of hair behind his ear, Ren leaned forward and used his teeth to gently remove Ryuuga-san's spectacles from his face before putting it onto his own.

The sudden crystal clarity the glasses bestowed him surprised him, so much so he didn't bother to hide it.

That very evening, Ryuuga-san brought him to an optician and had a pair of glasses ordered for him.

It was the same glasses Ren had been carrying with him everyday.

And Ryuuga-san makes it a point to bring Ren to the same optician every year to get a new pair of glasses, and contact lenses, despite Ren's fervent protests.

* * *

That is exactly why Ryuuga-san has been giving him stern looks everytime he sees Ren without one.

To which Ren countered sweetly that "You don't always wear one either." as Ren walked past him.

He left Ryuuga-san clenching his fists in irate annoyance, laughter trailing behind him like bells in the wind.

* * *

 Glasses or contact lenses or no, surprisingly Ren is still able to score in his own dart game.

Muscle memory, Ren had cheerfully explained the phenomenon to a baffled Ryuuga-san, then grumbled about how glasses and contact lenses are such a pain.

"Your family wears glasses, no?" Ryuuga-san pointed out. "If I am not mistaken, your father, and your brother, right?"

The very idea appalled Ren, and Ryuuga regretted saying it because from then on, Ren adamantly refused to wear glasses.

Until one day, he had a persistent headache that wouldn't go away. Ryuuya, who was nearby and had been quietly watching his distress, took Ren's bag, fished out the well-kept glasses and wordlessly handed it over to him.

Ren shot him a look, before grudgingly putting it on.

Like magic, the pain disappeared.

Ryuuya only threw him a "I told you so," look, and grinning, Ren kissed it away.

But Ren does wear glasses every now and then, much to his sensei's relief.

When asked, Ren merely replied, "Why, I look good in glasses, no?" much to everyone's exasperation.

They left it at that after that.

Shinomi was overjoyed that he wasn't the only one wearing glasses.

Friends and fans alike thought Ren was just being vain.

Ren happily left it at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is this one official art in which Ren wears glasses when the rest of the STARISH don't (except for Natsuki, of course). Can you recall that Christmas art? Ren with low, side ponytail wearing a scarf and glasses, holding a bouquet of flowers?
> 
> Then there are those ASAS Sprites too. Though I think it is more of a disguise than an actual need so... 
> 
> Oh. And that Ren and Ryuuya part in the fic? There's a doujin about it. XD


	6. Of Truancy and Smoking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which bits of Ren's past were revealed (to the 4 Rs of the UtaPri 'verse, namely Reiji, Ranmaru, Ringo and Ryuuya) - that he was quite a rebellious teenager who remorselessly skipped classes and smoked just to spite his father. 
> 
> Mentions of Ranmaru x Reiji and Ryuuya x Ren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will nail two of Ren's headcanons at once. In Ren's route in Uta no Prince-sama REPEAT, it is revealed that Ren dropped out of high school and he became a delinquent, so it is natural that Ren used to smoke during that time, too.

It was quite a normal afternoon for Ren, who was lounging with STARISH after a morning of hectic schedule, when the Boss' voice boomed from the PA system demanding for the Ren, Reiji, Ranmaru, Ryuuga and Ringo to meet him in his office right that instant.

The fact that Ren was the only kouhai, the only STARISH to be called, among the senpais and lecturers, was not lost to the rest of the STARISH.

Ren only gave them a puzzled shrug before dutifully making his way towards the office. He had no idea what the Boss had wanted.

Well, he was about to find out.

* * *

 

Apparently, the Boss thought that having so many Rs in his agency was amusing, and he thought that the sameness would intrigue the market and rope in more popularity. 

So he arranged a great deal of projects for them, aptly called the Project R, which included photoshoot, modeling for fashion shows, recording of new song (the R-Evolution) and the public performance of the songs and even some appearance in television shows and interviews. 

All of these were expected to last for 3 gruelling months.

Yes, all of that in the midst of their own individual projects and with their respective groups.

In short, they had their hands full, with barely enough time for themselves.

But, it wasn't so bad at all, considering. 

* * *

 

It was finally their break time, during their, ehem, suggestive photoshoot entitled Project R Rated - (It was obviously no trouble for Ren, who had the most fun among them all, teasing his seniors relentlessly during and after the photoshoot) and they were taking the time to relax after their lunch. 

Currently, they were indulging in mentions of their past, and somehow, they touched on the topic of skipping classes. 

Immediately, Ryuuga sent Ren a long, meaningful look over the rim of his coffee mug. 

"Lessons everywhere bores me," Ren countered in defense, earning a disgruntled snort from his ex-teacher, which promptly illicited an amused smile on Ren's part. "Truancy is the inevitable conclusion, though I doubt I will skip classes now, when _he_  is the one teaching..."

Ren glanced at Ryuuga when he emphasised on the 'he', much to Reiji's and Ringo's amusement at the blatant affection issued. 

The man in question blushed discreetly and looked away. Reiji decided to save his dignity by primly chiding, "RenRen, it is still no good to skip classes! You miss much valuable knowledge imparted from the teacher!"

To which Ringo sniggered, "You're the one to talk, Rei-chan! You used to skip classes too, remember? Ryuuya told me so!"

Bukki pouted adorably in response. Ren felt cheeky enough to stick out his tongue at the older man. When Bukki went to whine at Ran-chan, the bassist merely responded with an affectionate bonk on Bukki's head, and a muttered "Baka." 

Ren couldn't help but chuckle at the scene. 

But he knew Ryuuya was boring holes into him, probably in displeasure, or something more, Ren wasn't sure. 

"But... If only you were my teacher during my high school days, Ryuuga-san," Ren said wistfully, slowly stirring his cooling coffee. "I wouldn't have to drop out of high school..."

Silence reigned the atmosphere for a moment. 

They realised, then, that at that moment, Ren wasn't with them.

Instead, he was far away, in memories that only he could see.

"I was at that age when rebellion is natural," Ren said wistfully, staring at his reflection in his coffee but seeing only the past, "Papa hated me more the older I grew, and being rebellious was the perfect excuse to spite him. He mentioned that I looked like Mama, so I deliberately grew out my hair," Unconsciously Ren reached up to sift a lock of his hair through his fingers, "As with me skipping classes, returning home late at night, and having one night stands. Completely different from dear perfect brothers of mine..."

"Ren-chan..."

"RenRen..."

"Ren..."

Simultaneous chorus of his name gently broke him from his reverie, with various degrees of empathy, surprise and maybe sympathy. Ren was having none of it. He hated himself then for appearing weak in front of the others, of revealing one of his most painful memories of the past. 

Ren shook his head with a slight laugh, intending to make light of whatever that had just transpired, and with that laugh, all hints of his pain faded away like they were never there. 

Ran-chan chose that very moment to light up a cigarette, but Ren managed to glimpse concern in his gaze before smoke obscured it from sight. 

It was a good time as any to follow suit. 

Bukki lit up his, using Ran-chan's lighter, and Ringo withdrew a stick from his pack of cigarettes. Ryuuga was lighting up his, and Ren surprised everyone at the table by stealing a cigarette from Ryuuga, placing it in between his lips and leaned closer so that the glowing end of Ryuuga's cigarette lit up his unlit cigarette end. 

If it wasn't for the cigarettes, they might have kissed. 

Chuckling, Ren leaned back against his plush seat and took a long drag. 

"Eh?" Ringo blinked at him in surprise. "You smoke too, Ren-chan?"

Oh. That's right. Ringo didn't know about this habit of his. 

In fact, not many do. Only a select few. Ren didn't want to have to deal with questions that followed. 

Ren exhaled before replying, "Yes, since high school. It was part of my rebellious stage. Besides, the ladies prefer boys with a bad image, and I had a rather notorious reputation back then."

Ran-chan snorted at this, and there was a strange look on Ryuuga's face. 

Ren decided that he didn't want to know. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ren didn't quit smoking, but he smokes even less when he was enrolled in the Saotome Gakuen. He finds it therapeutic, so he only lights up only when he really needs it, and those moments are rare. 
> 
> None of the STARISH members (except Hijirikawa) know about him smoking. It wasn't that he is keeping it a secret from them; it's just that he doesn't want to smoke in their presence and then has to deal with a lot of questions. 
> 
> There is a Pixiv fanart that shows Ren and Reiji smoking together outside a building, and plenty of fanarts depicting Ren smoking, hence the headcanon is formed.


	7. Ren's Bracelet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever wonder about Ren's bracelet that he never seems to take it off? Here is the background story.

Ren isn't one to lose his composure easily, no matter the situation.

So imagine the surprise of the STARISH members when Ren suddenly burst into the room, looking flustered and pale and panicky.

That sent alarm bells ringing off in everyone's minds.

"What is the matter, Jinguuji?" Even Masato was alarmed, to see his childhood friend looking so worried.

"Ren? What's wrong?"

"Ren-san?"

"Jinguuji-san?"

Ren took several deep breaths to calm down, but still couldn't completely suppress the desperation from showing in his tone. "Have anyone of you seen my bracelet?"

He was unconsciously rubbing his empty right wrist as he asked the question, a gesture not missed by others.

There could only have been one bracelet, the one bracelet he had never seen Ren without.

Come to think of it...

"Do you remember where you last placed your bracelet?" Ichi was always the rational one, Ren had to give him that.

"I was at the dressing room, changing out of the costume," Ren explained as calmly as he could. "When I was about to put it on, I realised that it was gone. It was barely five minutes! I've searched for it everywhere!"

Ikki was instantly on his feet. "We will find it for you, Ren! Please don't worry!"

"Yes," Ochibi-chan reaffirmed it. "Just leave it to us!"

And those two immediately bolted out of the room before Ren could even blink.

"I will help, too!"

"The more eyes we have, the better!"

Shinomi and Cesshi were quick to follow suit.

"I will inform the attendees of the dressing room, see if they are aware of the situation," And Ichi left to do just that.

Ren was too worried to sit still, so he headed to stand near a window to try rewind his thoughts to the time before he lost his precious belonging.

Someone laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, startling him out of his jumbled thoughts. "Fret not, Jinguuji."

Ah, Hijirikawa...

"I am sure we will recover your lost bracelet, soon. Nanami-san recovered your lyrics, did she not?"

Ren could only nod numbly.

"It is the momento from my Mother," Ren whispered brokenly. "I don't know what would I do if it couldn't be found, Masato..."

When Ren starts to use their given names instead of his usual affectionate nicknames, things are worse than they initially thought.

It was only right to use Ren's given name at times such as this.

"They will find it, and they will succeed," Masato gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Have faith, Ren."

Usually, he did not believe in human contact, but Masato knew that Ren clearly needed some form of touch to keep himself grounded and calm.

"George called me aside a month after Father's passing," Ren closed his eyes as he wistfully recounted the memory. "He passed me the bracelet, then, saying that despite Father's orders, he did not throw away all of Mother's belongings. The bracelet is one thing he managed to save, and the bracelet is her favourite, gifted to her by her mother on her final birthday as a single woman before she was married off to Father..."

"Ren..."

Ren had been adamantly secretive about his past, to the point that even Masato had no idea what had actually transpired in Ren's childhood, though he was quite sure that Ren knew about his - Ren had mentioned that Masato had all the things he had ever wanted, but could never had, while Masato had yearned for the freedom he could never had. 

How ironically fitting, for Fate to tangle their threads once again. 

But... What possibly could Masato had that Ren had so craved?

A strict, no-nonsense father who had arranged your entire life for you?

The one shouldering the entire name and responsibility for your family?

The one missing his little sister dearly?

The one who had to do the household chores because his mother is weak and fragile?

Masato was quite baffled with Ren's odd remark.

They heard hurried footfalls before the door to the room was flung open. 

"Ren! We've found it! We've found your bracelet!"

Ren's eyes widened when Otoya thrust the silver bracelet towards him. 

Features softening with relief, Ren took the bracelet with shaky fingers. 

"Yokatta, Mama..." Ren brushed the accessory against his lips, relishing the fact that it had been found, that it was safe and sound. 

But it would not have been possible without his friends' help. 

Slipping the bracelet to where it belonged - hanging snugly from his wrist - Ren flashed his fellow bandmates a dazzling smile. 

A genuine, dazzling smile. They deserved that, at least. 

"Thank you."

It was still amusing how some of them glanced away, blushing slightly, and it wasn't even intentional this time. 

"You are never alone, Ren!" Cesshi said seriously. "If you need help, we are more than willing to help you in any way we can!"

The others murmured their agreement.

"Just don't lose your things again!" Ochibi-chan remarked primly, crossing his arms. "What would you have done if we haven't found it?"

 "Hai, Ochibi-chan..." Ren purred sweetly in response. "Sankyuu."

"Don't call me Chibi!"

The bickering that resulted put everyone at ease, because when Ren started calling them by their nicknames, everything was back to normal again. 


End file.
